Reader’s RV security cameras tell the real story behind service and repairs

In this column, we summarize some of your emails and comments regarding RV service centers and repairs (we asked you to submit your stories here). We’ll tell you all: the best, the good, the bad and the ugly. At the end of this article, you’ll find a place to submit your own comments. I encourage you to do so.

Keep in mind, we typically only present one side of the story in most of these. Also, any remarks about service centers and mobile techs mentioned are the opinions of our readers and not necessarily RVtravel.com. 

Here’s what you had to say:

Security cameras in RV tell the real story

Mark L. has installed security cameras in his rig to keep the service centers honest. Here’s what’s happened: “Why do I have Blink security cameras in my RV? I installed them for peace of mind while the RV was parked in storage. When I have, I actually recorded security footage to the cloud that I was glad to have obtained, almost every time the RV has gone in for service. If I had a dime for each time a service tech or service manager has flat out lied to me and I knew the truth due to my Blink cameras… I love being notified when somebody enters the rig and is moving around or ‘working’ inside. The recorded audio is also priceless. I have even confronted a couple of service managers with the video footage just to watch them tap dance and squirm as they try to backtrack from a lie.”

High recommendation for Big Bend RV

Jimmie C. is still thanking Big Bend RV after a year! “It’s been more than a year but I keep saying ‘thank you’ in my mind to Big Bend RV Supply & Service, 90400 East Highway 90, Alpine, TX, every time I need to fill my fresh water tank. The cheap plastic handle and valve assembly was broken and rusty where mounted and no longer worked properly. Dan came to the campground and reworked the fill AND drain valves with new copper valves and oversized handles that were much easier to turn. He also replaced my dying A/C motor. I would highly recommend this company.”

They lied over and over

Loren W. had some frustration getting straight answers and work done. Here’s why: “Bought our used 2015 Montana 5th wheel at General RV in Orange Park, FL. We bought an extended warranty for the camper. Our back A/C gave up the ghost. I took it back to General RV for repair. Our warranty was through CornerStone. General RV had a program called Keep You Camping for certain items they would repair sooner rather than later.

“They asked when I needed to have it back so I gave them a date about two weeks later as we were going on a two-week trip up north. A day before my scheduled pickup date I called to make sure all was ready for me to pick up the unit.

“Well, the service writer started lying right off the bat. He said that he had submitted the claim to replace the A/C unit but had not heard back from CornerStone. I called CornerStone and they told me they had not received any communication from them.

“I went down to General RV and asked to talk to the service manager. After about an hour of waiting I got to see the assistant manager. He asked the service writer what was going on. The service writer was told to have my unit ready the next day. Next day I showed up but unit is not ready.

“I proceeded to walk over to the main office and asked to see the general manager. They indicated he was not available to see me. Must have worked because before I could get back to the service department, I got a call from the service manager informing me my unit would be ready that day. All they did was lie over and over.”

But he got a new step!

Bob L. had an oil change and a new step after they ripped it off. He writes, “This past week the Camping World in Kissimmee, Florida, scheduled and performed an oil and filter change on my Monaco. They had an advertised price of $399, which is a good deal for my diesel coach. The tech ripped the step off putting the unit on the lift, so they replaced it with a new Kwikee step. My $399 oil change turned into $800 because of extra work and filter up-charges, BUT I got a new step!”

This Camping World did it right

Dana L. has some good things to say about Camping World’s work. “Steve Perez, Service Advisor, Camping World (formerly Gander RV) of St. George, Utah, gets 5 stars from me. He is very customer-focused. Issues get fixed (usually under warranty) when he promises. If the problem is something simple that I can’t fix, Steve schedules my appointment for when I can wait for the repair since I have to drive 45 miles one way to get to him.”

Persevered and work was done

Troy B. is happy with his Jayco motorhome and the repairs. He says, “We bought our 2018 Jayco motorhome from a dealer and had its two-year warranty come up right in the middle of 2020! Not an ideal time, but we had been saving up our list and just before heading to Elkhart to get the work done, the main slide failed… thankfully in, not out. Handed it over to Jayco for about four months. There were parts delays and some miscommunication but we persevered and Jayco was great to work with overall. Picked up the coach with everything fixed and it’s been solid ever since. Other stuff will come up, but we remain pleased with the coach and the brand.”

Glowing report for Newmar

Neal D. is very satisfied with the service he received from the Newmar techs: “We had a problem with excessive heat (>100° F after a 4-hour summer drive in high 80s temps while running generator and both A/C units). Newmar got us into their factory service center within a week of reporting the problem to techs working the Newmar owners’ rally last July.

“Additional problems were uncovered during that visit by the Newmar service techs that could not be addressed during our scheduled time there. We returned there at our convenience last week and can only speak glowingly of the treatment we have received. Both techs we have had have looked beyond our specific issues to ensure everything works correctly and safely. Our motorhome IS still under warranty (until mid-July 2023), but once it expires we will continue traveling the approximately 1,000-mile round-trip from home to there and back to ensure knowledgeable and motivated techs work on our motorhome.”

HELP! “What is best way to find mobile techs?”

Wyndy B. asks for our readers’ help. “What is the best way to locate a mobile tech that is licensed and insured? Also one that will accept an extended warranty.”

What are ways you, our readers, find techs that you have been happy with? Please write your comments below and we will share them later.

Editor’s note: I usually contact the RV service centers and ask for referrals. They are so busy they are usually happy to give out names. RV parks can also have referrals.

Note from RVtravel.com: If hiring a mobile tech, a small or mega service center, make sure that they are experienced in the issue and have insurance in case something goes wrong. Also, check their warranty policy on the work they perform. Check reviews too and read between the lines—if the review sounds way too good to be true it might be. Compare with several reviews and not just the ones on their website.

Questions for you about RV service

Over the next few weeks, we’ll share stories of your RV service experiences. We want to know:

• Have you had good luck with great service or not so much?
• Did you get good service from knowledgeable technicians?
• Are you waiting to get into a service center or have a mobile tech come out?
• What has been the average time to get an appointment?
• Has your RV been in a service center for a while?
• Are you able to get any mobile techs to come out?
• Are the service centers able to get parts?
• When you do get the repairs done, is the price reasonable?

Please fill out the form below and tell us what your experiences have been like. It can be a horror story, an opinion about what’s going on, a positive experience, or anything else related to the topic. We want to know the great, the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Check back next week for more on RV service centers. See you then.

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Last week’s RV Service Centers and Repairs Report:

• RVers should insist on watching the work done on their RV

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